Columbia Gas Blue Jackets Hot Prospects Report (Feb. 23)

Gilbert Brule and Adam McQuaid top this week’s Columbia Gas Hot Prospects Report. Brule was named WHL Player of the Week for Feb. 13-19 and then scored a hat trick on Feb. 21 giving him 9-7-16 in his last seven games. McQuaid, meanwhile, has scored 1-3-4 with a +10 rating over the last six games after scoring 2-9-11 with a -17 mark in the first 51.

OHL Jared Boll (Plymouth) – Boll has scored 1-1-2 in four games over the last two weeks, helping the Whalers to a 3-1-0-0 record which puts Plymouth tied with Windsor for first place in the West Division with a 28-24-1-3 record for 60 points. In addition, Boll has accumulated 21 PIM over the last four contests, giving him 183 on the season, which is fourth in the OHL. Boll, Columbus’ fourth pick, 101st overall in the 2005 Entry Draft, has posted 16-14-30 on the season with eight power-play goals and four game-winning goals. His 16 goals rank third on his squad.

Trevor Hendrikx (Peterborough) – Hendrikx has posted 0-1-1 with a +6 +/- rating over the last five games, helping Peterborough to an OHL-best 41-12-2-1 record, including 3-2-0 over the last five. The squad has already clinched a playoff spot. Overall, Hendrikx has scored 7-41-48 with a +14 rating in 49 games. His 41 assists are second on his team and fifth amongst OHL blueliners while his 48 points rank eighth in the OHL amongst defensemen.

Dan LaCosta (Barrie) – LaCosta has been on a roll in all of February, going 3-2-0 over his last five starts, stopping 116-of-127 shots (.913) with a 2.20 GAA, including a shutout of Toronto on Feb. 18. For the season, LaCosta is 29-13-1-3 with a 2.48 GAA and a .918 SV%, which ranks second in the OHL. His solid play has helped his team hold onto first place in the Central Division with a 36-17-1-3 record, clinching a playoff spot. LaCosta, a third round selection by the Blue Jackets in the 2004 Entry Draft, has five shutouts on the season.

Adam McQuaid (Sudbury) – McQuaid has been hot over the last six games, unfortunately it hasn’t helped his team which is battling for a playoff spot, currently sitting in fourth place in the Central Division with a 27-25-1-4 mark, including 2-4-0 over the last six. McQuaid has done everything in his power to help his team make its playoff push, scoring 1-3-4 with a +10 over the last six games, after scoring 2-9-11 with a -17 mark over his first 51. Columbus' second round selection, 55th overall, in the 2005 Entry Draft, has posted 3-12-15 in 57 games this season.

Kyle Wharton (Guelph) – Wharton, Columbus' second round pick, 59th overall in the 2004 Entry Draft, has scored 1-3-4 with a +5 mark over the last six games, helping the Storm to a 3-3-0 mark over that span and clinch a playoff spot with a 35-19-1-2 record, which is third in the Midwest Division. For the season, Wharton has scored 7-24-31, including 1-8-9 in 15 games since being dealt to Guelph.

QMJHL Philippe Dupuis (Moncton) – Dupuis has been red hot over the last two weeks, scoring 6-8-14, bringing his season totals to 27-62-89, leading his team in both points and assists. His 89 points also ranks 11th best in the QMJHL, despite missing 10 games for the World Junior Championships, while he also ranks seventh in assists and 13th with a +29 rating. At 43-12-0-3, Moncton leads the Eastern Division of the QMJHL.

Adam Pineault (Moncton) – Pineault, meanwhile, scored 1-5-6 over the last two weeks and is tied for fourth on the Wildcats’ roster with 23 goals, along with 25 assists for 48 points on the season. A second round pick by the Blue Jackets in the 2004 Entry Draft, he ranked among the QMJHL rookie leaders in most major statistical categories last season with 26-20-46 and +12 rating in 61 games.

Petr Pohl (Acadie-Bathurst) – Pohl has scored 2-3-5 over the past two weeks, bringing his totals to 21-39-60, which ranks fourth on his squad. Pohl, who was selected by the Blue Jackets in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft with the club's fifth pick, 133rd overall, has helped Acadie-Bathurst to second place in the Eastern Conference in the QMJHL, posting a 35-16-3-5 record.

Justin Vienneau (Shawinigan) – Vienneau posted four assists over the last two weeks, bringing his season totals to 1-13-14 in 46 games this season, setting a career high in assists. He also ranks 18th in the QMJHL with 142 penalty minutes. A 2004 Entry Draft selection by the Blue Jackets, he entered the season with 4-18-22 and 275 PIM in 113 career QMJHL games.

WHL Gilbert Brule (Vancouver) – Brule was named WHL Player of the Week for Feb. 13-19 and it looks like he wants to repeat the honor for Feb. 20-26, scoring a hat trick on Feb. 21, in the Giants’ 3-1 win over Tri City. Over the last seven games, Brule has posted 9-7-16 with a +7 ranking, helping Vancouver to a 7-0-0 mark over that span. He has a five-game goal-scoring streak and had a five point game (2-3-5) at Spokane on Feb. 15. Overall since his return to the WHL, Brule has posted 17-10-27 with a +6 rating in 17 games helping the team to an OHL-best 42-14-0-6. Columbus’ first pick, sixth overall, in the 2005 Entry Draft, scored 2-2-4 with the Blue Jackets in seven games.

Derek Reinhart (Regina) – Reinhart earned an assist in the last six games (2-4-0 record), bringing his totals to 0-3-3 in 37 games. The defenseman was Columbus' sixth pick, 177th overall, in this summer's Entry Draft. He entered the year with 3-11-14 and 312 PIM in 123 career WHL games. Regina has posted a 31-24-0-4 record, which is third in the division.

Kris Russell (Medicine Hat) – Has scored 0-2-2 over the last four games where his team has posted a 2-2-0 record. Columbus' third pick, 67th overall, in this summer's Entry Draft, Russell, is a Team Captain for Medicine Hat this season which owns the best record in the WHL with a 41-13-0-7 mark. Overall, he has scored 11-25-36, which is tops amongst defensemen on his team and 10th in the WHL amongst blueliners.